243 ARs
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Kansaswoodguy
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I've got a home brew on DPMS receivers in 6.5 Creedmoor I enjoy a great deal. If I had to do over again I'd just buy a complete AR-10 as nothing is standard like it is in the AR-15 platform. Barrel life I would guess at around 1000-1500 rounds depending on your shooting style and loads in 243.
CJS-6.5
Well-Known Member
I don't have one so I'm not shooting it either. I also don't like or dislike any particular brand. I also haven't been thinking about getting one. I do however know that barrel life can vary. If you need anything else I'm here to help.
westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
They tend to be a bit harsh feeding cartridges, so may not be compatible with match ammo. Goals when reloading are also different with a semi. Magazine length is another limitation. Right now they are cheaper than they have been for a while, but for me, quality brass is not what I want to run through one and pick up 15 feet away on the ground. I am sure there are competitive applications where the ballistics could be an advantage.
westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
Several years ago I was a new coyote hunter. Didnt know where to start. The first rifle I got was a Savage 24 with a 20ga barrel and a second that was a 222.
The second rifle was an AR in 7.62x39. That was a disaster. The magazine well was straight which is incompatible with such a tapered cartridge. I remember taking it to the range and being unable to chamber a round from any of the magazines. I had figured that for shorter range shooting, the knockdown power of a 110gr soft point would well exceed a 55gr Vmax out a 223. Good theory.
Some time later I traded the AR for a used Honda XR 200R dirt bike. Still looking to enhance my coyote technique, I bought a DVD at Cabelas called "The Modern Coyote Hunter".
The guy in the video is clearly an experienced coyote hunter and he can bring them in and anticipate where they will go. But he is (newly) shooting a tacticool AR15 with a red dot sight on it. The first 3 or 4 sets on the DVD he cant connect with anything with his AR and red dot and the only one killing coyotes is his backup shotgun guy. Half way through, the red dot is gone and he has something like a 3-9x40 deer rifle scope on his AR. Then he started making hits, but shotgun man had to bail him out about half the time.
Ther are cleary big variations in quality and retrofitting a good match trigger can cost half of what you spent on the base rifle. When I bought my 243 we were deep in the ammo crisis and I paid at least $1.80 per shell (empty) and that was after weeks of searching... Would hate to be shooting that through a semi automatic.
The second rifle was an AR in 7.62x39. That was a disaster. The magazine well was straight which is incompatible with such a tapered cartridge. I remember taking it to the range and being unable to chamber a round from any of the magazines. I had figured that for shorter range shooting, the knockdown power of a 110gr soft point would well exceed a 55gr Vmax out a 223. Good theory.
Some time later I traded the AR for a used Honda XR 200R dirt bike. Still looking to enhance my coyote technique, I bought a DVD at Cabelas called "The Modern Coyote Hunter".
The guy in the video is clearly an experienced coyote hunter and he can bring them in and anticipate where they will go. But he is (newly) shooting a tacticool AR15 with a red dot sight on it. The first 3 or 4 sets on the DVD he cant connect with anything with his AR and red dot and the only one killing coyotes is his backup shotgun guy. Half way through, the red dot is gone and he has something like a 3-9x40 deer rifle scope on his AR. Then he started making hits, but shotgun man had to bail him out about half the time.
Ther are cleary big variations in quality and retrofitting a good match trigger can cost half of what you spent on the base rifle. When I bought my 243 we were deep in the ammo crisis and I paid at least $1.80 per shell (empty) and that was after weeks of searching... Would hate to be shooting that through a semi automatic.
I have 6 AR's now and have built several in 243 that all shot well. Personally though I shoot an F1 BDR in 308 that I built. I run 115 grain controlled chaos mono bullets at 3100 fps and it is devastating on coyotes and whitetails. I also run 168 gr SMK's with great accuracy but not worthy for hunting purposes at AR velocities. With a Proof barrel and careful use with mild loads you can maybe get 2000 rounds out of it. I would build one over buying and get exactly what you want.
Mach 1
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I've had probably 50 ar rifles over the years. ARs are so easy to put together I'd buy a quality upper and have krieger chamber the barrel for you and have it head spaced to a bolt they have. The rest is easy and you can use whatever parts you want to assemble it.
How's the accuracry with the Krieger AR barrels?
Mach 1
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They shoot well as they should. I've got bartlien and krieger barrels both on ar rifles. I don't see a difference in accuracy between them. Any of the cut rifled barrels should shoot well. Although For the money it's had to be Black hole weaponry if you can catch them on sale.
I have Black Hole Weaponry on two of mine and they shoot well. They are part of Columbia River Arms now. I have also had good luck with Criterion barrels but if you want to save weight Proof Research is the best way to go and just as accurate as any other with better heat dissipation.
Mach 1
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Columbia river arms has always owned black hole weaponry as far as I know. They just dropped the name for simplicity. If money wasn't an issue or I was going to have one accurate ar I think I'd go with a cut rifled barrel. Not that button rifled barrels don't shoot. Some of them shoot very well but I've just had more reliable luck with the cut rifled barrels.
